--Original published at Sarah's Blog

Two approaches for treating addiction are the abstinence model and the harm reduction model. The abstinence model is a person who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol go through a sobriety process to fully treat the addiction. The harm reduction model is when methods like needle-exchanging and substituting harmful drugs to lessen the harmful consequences.  Out of the two approaches, I believe that the abstinence model is more effective in treating addiction. If I had to recommend a method to a loved one, I would definitely go with the abstinence model. The harm-reduction model is a good method, but it does not eliminate the intake of the drug and the person who is addicted is still taking a version of the drug. Abstinence is a very efficient model, but only over time and with dedication. Slowly taking someone off of a drug is more efficient than completely coming off of it at once. Completely abstaining from something as powerful as alcohol or any type of drug is really dangerous and can cause major withdrawal and other symptoms.

Using both of the models in conjunction with each other may be the best way to help someone who is struggling with addiction. Abstinence is the end goal, but to decrease sudden withdrawal symptoms the caretaker might use a form of harm-reduction. Some people are not able to abstain immediately because of the severity of the addiction, but abstinence is the process that a person suffering from alcohol or drug addiction can use to become totally sober.

--Original published at Kate's College Blog

For this weeks first impression post, I am choosing option 2 which examines the two models to treat addiction. All across the globe, people battle addictions to drugs and alcohol. There are two prominent approaches to treat addiction, the abstinence model and the harm reduction model. The abstinence model is when the person totally refrains from the addictive behavior. A common abstinence model example that many people use are AA meetings and programs. On the other hand, the harm reduction model does not focus on whether the individual partakes in the addictive activity, but rather wants to reduce the potential negative problems that are associated with it. Common examples of the harm reduction model are drug replacement therapy, needle exchange programs, and substitutions for “less harmful drugs”.

The abstinence model seems like the better approach to me. If someone was battling addiction and wanted to treat it, they should want to take the approach that keeps them clean completely, not just clean from the negative problems that could happen to them. The abstinence model focuses on the persons road to being completely sober or clean and I feel like if you want to treat addiction, the only way to do that is to completely cut it out of your life. If you still are using the drugs or drinking excessively, then your road to treat your addiction is not going to be fixed. If a loved one needed help with an addition, I would recommend following the abstinence model and try AA programs and meetings. They have a role in my family that they fill, and their addiction would not just be affecting them, but affecting all their loved ones around them. If they wanted to be an active member of the family and have connections with the rest of the family, they would have to cut out their addiction completely to be a better mom, dad, sister, or brother.

--Original published at Miguel's College Blog

Addiction is an incredibly long and arduous process that not only affects the addict, but also those that are close to the addict. The two approaches to treating addiction is the abstinence and the harm reduction model. One focuses on removing the substances away from the addict in order to start recovery, while the other focuses on slowly reducing the negative consequences that come with substance abuse.

I would recommend the abstinence approach because I think that it is the most powerful way to battle the temptation of addiction. The abstinence approach can combat addiction very well only if the person is willing to sacrifice to get better. The sacrifice of the substance for the well being of their life is already one step closer to beating addiction. That being said, the abstinence approach should not be taken as a cold, hard process. The approach should be taken with flexibility and at a gradual pace because the addict’s body needs to process the changes that is happening. The gradual pace allows the body to get used to the weaning off of the substance and by the end, the body can function without depending on the substance. The only way to beat an addiction is to stop the dependency of the substance and that requires the user to stop taking the substance.

I think the harm reduction approach is still a good method in helping an addict while they are still using, but not as an approach to stop them from using. The harm reduction approach may be used as a stepping stone to help addicts make the right decision to get help, however the abstinence approach will be more effective in stopping substance use. For example, giving users prescriptions for drug replacements such as suboxone may help the user wean off of their substance, but then their body is still dependent on some sort of stimulus to function. Empowering the addict to take action and stop using is the only way to combat an addiction and stop dependency.

--Original published at Sierra's College Blog

For this week’s first impression post, I have chosen to discuss option one, dealing with the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana. Recently, several states have legalized recreational marijuana, and many more states have been considering it as well. The legalization of marijuana has been very controversial, which has led to celebration and condemnation. To determine whether or not the legalization of marijuana, medically and recreationally, is positive for society, one has to weigh the pros and cons.

With some background information, I do not believe recreational marijuana should be legalized. There are both pros and cons for people who want to legalize marijuana. Some pros for the legalization of marijuana include profitable sales, less population in the jails, and no more harm to someone compared to other drugs. People can make money from selling marijuana, like in Colorado. Many people go to jail after being caught with or smoking marijuana. Keeping these inmates in jail is a very expensive process. Many people think marijuana is no worse than alcohol or tobacco products too. Lastly, legalizing marijuana will mean less kids will try to hide this activity from their parents or the law. Even with these pros, I believe marijuana should not be legalized due to the cons. Legalizing marijuana can be bad for one’s health, influence the younger generations, and allows addictions to occur. How could the police be able to detect the amount of marijuana someone is using or determine a limit for drivers? Putting marijuana in brownies or other candies could confuse smaller children and even cause harm. Also, I believe legalizing it will create many consequences in the future. You are not allowed to come to school or work while high, so legalizing it will increase the chances of problems. Lastly, the legalization of marijuana can introduce problems including laced weed.

Even though I believe recreational marijuana should not be legalized, I do not have such a strong opinion on medical marijuana. I do believe it should not be used unless it is needed in extreme cases, is monitored by practitioners, and is used in small increments. There are advantages of using medical weed to lower pain levels, decrease overdoses, and have no harmful effects. The marijuana could be used for patients who have high pain levels and need them to be reduced. Doctors could stop prescribing other expensive pills, which could become deadly if taken too many times, and prescriptions. With the pros, there are also cons. The drug can be addictive if the patient is dependent upon it. With this is mind, how will the doctors lean the patient, who uses marijuana to cause less pain, off the medication? The patient could go through withdrawal and crave marijuana. Also, the age of the patient could matter and be problematic. Having a younger child exposed to marijuana could damage the brain and its functions as well. Lastly, smoking marijuana can cause harm to the body, just like smoking tobacco. The irritation from using medical marijuana may cause more damage than planned.  I believe the only way to see whether or not marijuana will sufficiently be beneficial in the medical field is to experiment with it; however this leads to the concern of ethical experimentation. Lastly, I need to learn more about weed’s abilities to fix medical issues in the long run to justify the use of medical marijuana

Overall, I believe marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use, and should be limited for medical use.

--Original published at Anneka's Blog

Everyone has their addictions. While headlining addictions are the use of drugs or alcohol, addictions can be daily experiences. Are you addicted to a certain TV shows, favorite (unhealthy) foods, or coffee? Whether it be simple pleasures such as these or the more devastating addictions, over use of these can have negative effects, some more harmful than others. The United States is facing a widespread addiction epidemic, especially the use of opioids. For those struggling with an addiction and would like options of treatment, two main treatments are abstinence and the harm reduction methods. There is much debate over which method is the better treatment.

Abstinence is the more well-known method. The goal is to completely eliminate the unwanted behavior. The Alcohol Anonymous 12 Step Program is an example of an abstinence program. From the scientific standpoint of alcohol and drug addiction, abuse will permanently neurologically and physiologically change the brain. Thus, the tendency for addiction is 40-60% genetic, and it is difficult to use it in a non-addictive manner. Due to this tendency, complete restrain is the only way to fully recover and have control.

Those who receive Harm Reduction treatment still have substance use, but the goal is to the decrease the plausible harmful effects. Substance usage will have negative effects and Harm reduction treatment limits the damage to the body as much as possible. The treatment methods vary between addiction. Programs offer alternate drugs, clean needles, driver assignments to keep those under the influence off the roads, and other strategies.

Although each person and addiction is different and the right process varies between person, I would advocate for Abstinence for an addicted love one. I think eliminating the temptation and substance from one’s body is the way that will help for overall better health and life. Although the Harm Reduction treatment attempts to reduce the harmful effects of addiction, the person is still permanently damaging their body by using a substance. With drug substitution, despite removing the addictive substance, you are still using some type of drug. Abstinence is not a treatment that will work overnight and will take dedication, vulnerability, and time. Not cutting cold turkey (complete stop of drug), but slowly taking the person off the substance is the better method. Furthermore, it will stop the permanent damage to the body and mind. For those on the drug substitution, I would try to slowly take the person off those drugs to have them become clean as well. Abstinence provides the possibly to eliminate intake.

If you are struggling with addiction, please get help. You CAN overcome this.

References

New Hope Recovery Center. (n.d.). Addiction counseling: Abstinence versus harm reduction. Retrieved from New Hope Recovery Center website: http://www.new-hope-recovery.com/center/2014/07/29/addiction-counseling-abstinence-versus-harm-reduction/

--Original published at Collin's Blog

This week I chose to do my blog on the pros and cons of marijuana legalization and my personal opinion on it.  Legalizing marijuana has become a very controversial debate over the past few years. Some states have already begun legalizing it while others are well on their way to passing it through. In response to this, some people are going against marijuana’s legalization, saying it is a “gateway drug” and that making it more available to the public could lead to more issues.

The pros to making marijuana legal are that it could (in theory) benefit the economy, making the drug freely marketable would allow the government to add a taxation on selling marijuana which would lead to more government funding. Marijuana also is known to not affect the health of its consumers. The affects of marijuana usually only last a few hours depending on certain variables, but usually there is no long lasting effect for the occasional use.

While the physical effects of marijuana can fade away the psychological effects can build over time with use. The addiction to marijuana can cause many problems to the consumer resulting in a snowball effect. THC is a pain relieving substance in marijuana, that is used in the medical field to alleviate the severe pain for patients. Away from the hospitals it is commonly used to treat depression and stress among people. In hospitals the usage of marijuana is monitored and controlled, but that is usually not the case for people using it for recreational purposes. This can lead to an uncontrollable need for marijuana and can harm transmission of hormones that are normally used to deal with stress. By constantly using marijuana for a stress relief your body’s natural hormonal reactions will be left unused and eventually be depleted. The body would have to rely heavily on your use of marijuana for everyday stress which could become expensive for the consumer much like cigarettes have become.

In my opinion, legalizing marijuana is not going to be beneficial long-term for people and it seems that the government may only be legalizing its recreational use to gain a profit. For the consumers, when you form a habit to a drug or a chemical that is not naturally suppose to be produced in your body, it will have effects on the body whether you can see it or not.

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

Option 1:

In regards to the legalization of marijuana, this has been a relatively recent issue politically in the United States, and some states have legalized the use of weed recreationally as well as medicinally, while other states refuse to allow such practices. In my opinion, I take a stance more towards legalization of marijuana medicinally than recreationally. I believe that it can be used for good when placed in specific situations for people who need it regarding medical conditions, because it is a drug, just like any other medication given to patients, it’s a drug. Thus, I believe that giving doctors the opportunity to use marijuana similar to other drugs as relief for certain conditions is good, as long as it is used responsibly and diagnosed the same. Furthermore, I believe that based on certain studies that marijuana use is less addictive than say something like nicotine, which is found in cigars and cigarettes which kids can buy legally at 18. Also, people get hooked on certain drugs, such as those given in the form of opioids, and when their prescription ends, they sometimes turn to street drugs such as heroin. Thus, I would hope that buy implementing the use of marijuana, it would give people comfort in a less addictive form than opioids. Though a negative of legalizing weed medicinally could be that there would create an underground black market for medicinal weed and contribute to more criminal activity. Recreationally, I believe legalizing weed could potentially just lead to in the future, legalization of harder drugs which we don’t need in society. I understand that weed is most likely less problematic health-wise than say tobacco or alcohol use, but that doesn’t mean we go ahead and legalize it. There still has not been enough significant studies done which have looked into the long term health implications of marijuana use. At the same time, legalization of marijuana would help eliminate placing a lot people in jail, and free up space which would help tax payer dollars. Also, legalizing it would stimulate the economy significantly, because there is a high demand for weed, and no government regulated market for it nation wide. Though, if this were the case, there would be a lot more money going towards government funding. Overall, this is still a hot topic and one we will watch to see how state governments handle it.

--Original published at Melissa's Blog

The abstinence model is an approach for treating addiction that eliminates the harmful substance. The only way to ensure an addict will not use a toxic drug again is to completely remove it from their possession. In this model the addict will not have a way of taking the substance and will learn different coping methods during counseling. Another addiction treatment is the harm reduction model, which is meant for addicts who are not ready or are not willing to stop using. This approach aims at protecting the addict and others from the harmful consequences associated with substance abuse.

In my opinion, the abstinence-focused approach is more beneficial compared to the harm reduction-focused model. I disagree with the websites claim, “an important concept that some people and policy makers do not understand is that the harm reduction approach should not be seen as condoning risky or illegal behavior.” Although the website argues that the harm-reduction model is not overlooking substance abuse, I find it conflicting that they provide abusers with materials, such as clean-needles. Abusers should not be given materials that will promote their negative behavior. For example, if drug abusers are continuously given clean needles then they won’t ever be ready or willing to quit. The abstinence model may be more challenging and exhausting, but it is best for the abuser because they are completely stopping their behavior and have support to help them overcome and beat their addiction.

I side with the abstinence model because my dad used this treatment plan when he was recovering from alcoholism. He overcame his addiction with the help of support groups, counseling, and not being around alcohol. Therefore, if a loved one needed help with an addiction I would recommend the abstinence model because I know it is effective from my dad’s experience.

--Original published at marybraun99

For this first impression post, I am choosing to do option 1. Should medical, and recreational marijuana use be legalized?

I believe for many reasons that both recreational and medical marijuana use should be legal. In many states, medical marijuana, in at least some form, is legalized. However, most states that have legalized medical marijuana use, smoking marijuana is still not legal. The only legal forms are usually cannabis oil. This can benefit so many people, for so many different cases. There are some forms of treatments that do not work for some diseases, or chronic issues, such as sciatica, or seizures… by legalizing medical marijuana those who were once constantly suffering can now live fairly normal, getting the treatment that they need.

Marijuana is only a plant, it is not a crazy chemically active drug that was created in a lab, which we know is not poisonous. This is a huge benefit to those who also would only like an organic form of treatment for their diagnosis. However, some people may disagree that it should be legal. Some people believe that it is only a temporary treatment for seizures, or other injuries, and can have “long lasting cognitive effects on your body” such as depression and anxiety, and therefore it should not be legalized, anywhere.

As far as recreational use of marijuana goes, in states that have legalized it such as in Colorado, they have regulated it, and are actually making huge profits off of marijuana. When it is legalized recreationally that does not mean that the 14 year old kids that are trying to be cool will be able to smoke it anywhere they want, it is just like alcohol. You have to be 21 to be able to get a hold of marijuana. However, I believe that it should be legalized, or at least completely decriminalized, because so many jails and prisons are filled with those who are in for a marijuana related offense, meanwhile, in our present day, heroin, and meth are the main causes of death, but there is hardly anybody in jail over this issue. Whether it is legal or not, people are still going to be doing it, or growing it, or selling it, so if the government can find a way to tax it correctly, and make it affordable to those who want it, they can be looking at a huge profit. Many people are turning to marijuana instead of antidepressants or anti anxiety medications because it is not something that has to be consistently taken for it to have effects.

On the other hand, many people believe that marijuana is still a drug, and no drugs should be legalized, especially not just for fun. They also believe that it will be easier for children to get their hands on marijuana if it were sold in a shop, just like minors seem to always find a way to get underage alcohol. They also believe that those who are currently using it are already abusing it, and there can be no good outcome for the legalization of marijuana.

Overall, I believe, not only for the people, but for the government as well that both medical and recreational use of marijuana should be legalized in the United States.

--Original published at Brittany's Thoughts

I have chosen the first prompt about the controversy surrounding the use and legalization of marijuana. The topic is highly controversial in our country today, especially since some states have already legalized the use of recreational marijuana, and other states won’t be legalizing it anytime soon.

For those who are for the use of marijuana, they point out the health benefits of it. Marijuana helps with pain, anxiety, and can aid with disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. They also argue that marijuana is the least addictive drug and that it is less harmful than other types of drugs. Those who are against the use of marijuana claim it to be the “gateway drug” to using much harder drugs to achieve that same high. They also claim that it worsens physical and mental health rather than benefiting it. Research is inconclusive on the real effects of marijuana, so either argument could be correct or incorrect and is mostly based on whether a person has had experience with using marijuana or not.Medical marijuana is also a big controversy right now. Those who think it should be legalized talk about all the benefits it can have for disease treatment, especially in conditions like epilepsy in children, where the drug has been shown to work. Those against it make similar arguments to regular arguments about marijuana and that it will do more harm than good.

In my opinion, I support the use and legalization of medical marijuana. They are starting to develop medical marijuana with less THC, meaning patients will not get much of a high. This means that people will be at less danger of addiction to the drug while using it for medical use. As for recreational marijuana, I don’t really approve of the use of it, but legalizing it could have benefits. There would be less arrests, more locally-sourced jobs would be created to distribute marijuana, and an improvement in the economy of the legalized areas. I think legalization of both could have some real benefits to society.